Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Amoda Tea
Tea Description:
The Irish love strong black teas, so be ready! There’s an enticing aroma of cream and a malty, earthy, creamy sweet flavour. It’s brisk and full-bodied. And organic to boot.
Learn more about this tea here.
Learn how to subscribe to Amoda’s Monthly Tea Tasting Box here.
Taster’s Review:
HAPPY ST. PATRICK’S DAY!
This is the first tea that I am sampling from this month’s Amoda Tea Tasting Box. This box seems to be focused not only on St. Patrick’s Day, but also on spring.
When I first brewed this Irish Cream Black Tea from Shanti Tea, I thought it might be an Irish Breakfast type blend that has been flavored with a vanilla cream flavor … but as it turns out, it is more like an “Irish Cream” flavor … and I taste very subtle hints of cream liqueur along with the overtones of vanilla cream. YUM!
And this is indeed yummy! The cream note is well-defined, and it enhances the overall cup really nicely. It adds a pleasing creamy taste, eliminating the need to add dairy to the cup for that desired creamy note. The vanilla also accentuates the malty tones of the Assam tea in this blend. (At least, it certainly TASTES like Assam is in this tea!) The liqueur note is subtle, but, I like how it weaves its way in and out of the sip.
Because of what I believe IS Assam in this blend, it’s important not to over-steep this tea. I steeped my cup for 2 1/2 minutes and I’d say that is just about perfect. Any longer and I think this would have a slightly bitter tone, but, as it is, this is tasting just right. There is a moderate astringency to the cup.
This is an extraordinarily rich cup of tea – a great tea with which to start your day. Just enough sweetness to it … and a whole lot of gusto!
